Ribbon-printing attachment for presses



July 13 1926.

G. V. NEWTON RIBBON PRINTING ATTACHMENT FOR FRESSES Filed July 3, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 13; 1926.

G. V. NEWTON RIBBON PRINTING ATTACHMENT FOR PRESSES Filed July 25,

192 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 13, 1925.

warren erases PATENT @FFHQE.

GUY V. NENTOH, OF LOS ANGELE$, CALIFORNIA.

Application filed July 23,15524. Serial No. 727,649.

This invention has todo with devices applicable to printing presses of various dif- Eerent kinds; and although the invention is here described as being in the form of an attachment for a printing press of a particular kind, yet it will be readily understood that the invention need not be in the form of an attachment; as ordinarily understood, but may be of course built integrally with the other parts of the press to make a complete integral press including the pres ent invention; and also that the invention is not necessarily restricted, at least in its broader aspect, to a press of the particular kind herein described. However, in order to explain the invention as fully as possible it is explained as applied to thatparticular kind of press known as the Miller high speed press.

There are various objects of the invention, chief among WhlChl is provision of a mechanism that will enable a printing press to turn out at high speed a printed product after the style and general characteristics of a typewritten sheet. Or, in other words, a general object might be stated to be to make it possible to turn out work of the general kind and character turned out by a multigraph, but to produce such work at much higher speed and in more faithful imitation of a typewritten sheet where the impression takes place through the ink ribbon. There are various other objects and corresponding accomplishments of the in vention but they will be best understood from the following description and accompanying' drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section showing a printing press with the device of the present invention applied to it;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, more or less diagrammatic, of the same;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan taken as indicated by line 4-4 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an elevation taken on line 55 of Fig. 43

Fig. 6 is an end elevation taken as inclicated by line 6-6 on Fig. 4; and v Fig. 7 is a detailed elevation taken as indicated by line 77 on Fig. 4.

By reference to the drawings thestructure and operation of the illustrated press will be describedin so far as the operations of that particular type of press are neces sary to be understood in order to give a complete description of the improvements embodying the p'resent invention. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the particular structure and operation of the particular type of press selected for the purpose of this description. Such a press as herein illustrated has a bed 10 that is reciprocated in one direction through the action of certain cam operations and is reciprocated in the opposite direction by being moved into gear connection with cylinder 11, this cylinder being positively rotated at all times, in the direction indicated by the arrow in. Fig. 1, by the gearing train 12, 18, 14, illustrated in Fig. 3. At the same time the arrangements are such that the cylinder itself, in addition to its continuous rotary motion, is reciprocated by the action of cams 16 operating on pivoted cam follower 17 which in turn through arm 18 and connecting rod 19 reciprocates the bearings 20 in which the cylinder is journaled. Cams 16 are mounted on what may be termed the main shaft 21, which is continuously rotated. Driving gear 13 is also mounted on this main shaft, and the gear train '14-, 15, derives its rotation from the cam shaft gear 13. The bed 10 is moved toward the right in Fig. l by the action of cam 21 on roller 22, the motion of the roller being transmitted through connecting rod 23, bell crank lever 24 and connecting rod 25 to the bed. During this motion to the right the bed travels in a plane of movement below the position shown in Fig. 1, low enough to keep the bed rack 26 out of engagement with the cylinder gear 27 At the end of its movement to the right the bed is raised to the level shown in Fig. 1 so that the rack and gear intermesh and'then the travel of the bed tovthe left is caused by this gear connection with the constantly rotating cylinder. Reaching the left hand end of its movement the bed is again dropped and again moved toward the right. The vertical movement of the bed is effected by vertically moving plungers 30 connected to the ways 31 in which the bed rides, the lower ends of these plungers being operated upon by eccentrics or cams 32 which in turn are operated, through the medium of connecting rods and toggles S3, at, and. 35 from a pivoted arm 36 carrying a roller 37 that is operated by cam 38. It will be unnecessary to describe in detail all of the various interactions and relative timings of the various parts, as enough has now been described to enable the present invention to be understood. the timing of the various movements is such that, as the cylinder and bed reach the left hand end of their reciprocating movement in Fig. 1 the feeder (not illustrated) feeds a sheet or sheets of paper 10 to the cylinder, and these are gripped by suitable cylinder grippers, indicated at ll. The previous sheet or sheets have just been discharged onto the delivery mechanism, which need not be illustrated or described. On the subsequent movement of t-he cylinder and plate toward the right the sheets are carried around the cylinder until, when the cylinder reaches its righthand position the forward edge is just ready to pass between the cylinder and bed. The bed is then raised and then, on the subsequent reciprocating movement of the cylinder toward the left, the cylinder also constantly rotating, a sheet is passed toward the left between the cylinder 7 and bed, taking an impression from the type 42 on the bed. At theend of the left hand movement the bed drops, the cylinder keeps on rotating and delivers the printed sheet to the delivery mechanism and takes the next sheet from the feeder.

In a pressof the general character just described the present invention is applied in the manner that will now be made clear. A frame 45 is attached to the reciprocating bed, and this frame may either be regarded as an attachment to the bed or as a part of the reciprocating bed. It may be constru ted in'any manner desired: in attaching the present invention to press already constructed it is found convenient to form this frame 45 of bars or the like. Tiis frame extends out far enough at each end of the bed so that the two ribbon spools which are carried in bearings T on frame l?) will not strike any of the stationary parts of the press during their movements with the bed, The ribbon l8 may beeither of a single width to cover the entire bed width or the ribbon may be made up of a plurality of widths. Thus, for inst nee, where the press is arranged to take a two letter size sheet ,at a time it may be desirable to make the ribbon in two widths as illustrated. The

ribbon winds up at each end on the two provided at 4-9 to carry ribbon spools 46; and between the ribbon spools the-ribbon passes over the bed from end to end, suitable stationary rollers being the ribbon over the inking rolls .50 and to carry the ribbon down close to the bed during that part of the. ribbon travel where it passes under the cylinder. It will be noted that, by virtue of It will sufiice to say that "This advancement of the ribbon is the position of the ribbon with reference to the bed and cylinder, the paper in traveling around the cylinder is above the ribbon while the ribbon is above the type, so that the ribbon comes between the paper and the type. The action of the cylinder, as will be well understood. is to roll the paper over the type and ribbon on the bed, there being no relative movement longitudinally of the bed, between the paper and the type and bed during the impression stroke of the press.v Likewise it will be seen that there is no longitudinal movement of the ribbon relative to either the bed or the paper, because the ribbon is carried by the bed itself in its movements. Thus, during the impression stroke of the press the ribbon stationary relative to the bed while the cylinder, relative to the bed, rolls the paper, in impression, over the ribbon over the type.

Although the ribbon remains stationary relative to the bed during each printing stroke, the ribbon is advanced step by st p during each back stroke when the bed is dropped away from the cylinder. The amount of movement on each stroke is comparatively small, but sutlicicnt to present constantly a new impression surface on the ribbon to the type and the paper, so as to maintain even and uniforn'i printingresults. .aused by the mechanism shown in the drawings a: d shown more in detail in Figs. l and T. it will be noted that each ribbon spool -lt3 carriesa ratchet wheel 50; and preferably each spool carries two such ratchet wheels so that any spool may be used in a reversed end to end position. The spool bearings t? are equipped with a quick releasing device 51 so that new spools of ribbon may be substituted when necessary. The devices that :u-tuatc ratehets 50 at each end of the platen stroke may conveniently be mounted on any suitable frames or supports. In the present instance they are mounted on support 55 and 56 which are in the particular press illustrated. the supports for the feeder and receiving tray respectively. On these supports are mounted suitable l3-earin;;;-: the. carry a small shaft and on the end of the shaft a pawl 58 is carried in such a position that, as the bed comes to either end of its movement one of the ratchet whtthis pawl and. throw' t the pawl down and back around the shaft 5T (see the dotted line position in Fig. 6) causes the ratchet wheel and the corrcspoi'iding spool to be rotated through an angle that will depend upon the position of the pawl at the time it is engaged by the ratchet. in order to vary this engagement position of the pawl there is provided a small pivotcrl arm (30 whose free end in such a position as to be engaged by the roll of ribbon on the spool and to be moved in the directions indiinder;

shaft 57 in such a direction as to move pawl 58 from the full line position shown in Fig. 6 toward the dotted line position shown in that figure. The arrangements of the various parts are such that although the roll of ribbon contacts with arm 60 before ratchet 50 moves onto pawl 58, the ratchet will at some point, in its movement toward the pawl, strike the pawl, and from that point on the engagement of the pawl with the ratchet will move the pawl and move the ratchet wheel around. But the exact point at which the ratchet wheel engages the pawl is controlled, as before explained, by the amount of movement given arm 60, mil that in turn depends upon the size of ribbon roll on the spool. By this arrangement the movement of the ribbon at the end of the stroke is kept uniform, in spite of the varying size of the ribbon roll.

It will of course, be understood that only one of the ribbon advancing devices is in operation at a time, the ribbon being advanced step by step in one direction until it is entirely wound up on one spool; and then the ratchet devices at that end are put out of operation and the ones at the other end are thrown into operation, when the ribbon begins to be advanced step by step in the other direct-ion. But in either case it will be seen that the advancement of the ribbon takes place just before the end of the stroke in one direction or the other. 'Where the advancement takes place before the end of the stroke toward the rightin Fig. 1 it of course takes place before the bed rises and clamps the ribbon between the bed and cyl- In a case where the ribbon movement takes place near the left hand end of thestroke, it also takes place after the bed has begun to drop which it begins to do just before the end of its stroke toward the left and thus the advancement of the ribbon in that direction takes place after the ribbon is freed between the bed and cylinder.

Small friction members are provided as 2 indicated at to press against a ratchet of each ribbon spool so as to keep a certain tension on the ribbon and prevent it from becoming slack at any time. 7

Ink is applied to the type on the bed in the usual manner; that is, the ink is applied directly to the type and not to the ribbon. The inkdistributed over the type is transferred to the ribbon by the contact of the ribbon with the type during the printing stroke. The ribbon is preferably of a fabric that is suitably pervious to the ink user,

and the ink thus gradually permeates the ribbon'and works through to the upper face. After a ribbon has become sutliciently permeated with ink it will then produce a practically perfect uniformity of printing onto the paper, and will continue to do so. Ink is of course being continuously supplied to the under surface of the ribbon uniformly throughout its length; and is correspond ingly being constantly used from the upper surface of the ribbon uniformly throughout its length. The intermittent but uniform movement of the ribbon over the bed, and the uniform supply of ink from the type to the ribbon, accomplish these results.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim 1. In a printing press having a type carrying member and an impression member movable relatively to and from each other, an ink pervious ribbon passing between said members and adapted to lie between the type and the papers to be printed on, means to supply ink to the type, and means to move the ribbon step by step during successive periods when the two members are moved away from each other; the ribbon being carried by the type carrying member; and said ribbon moving means embodying a spool on which the ribbon is wound, ratchet means operated by virtue of the movement of the ribbon with the type carrying member to rotate the spool step by step, and means controlled by the amount of ribbon on the spool to govern the amount of rotation imparted to the spool by the ratchet means.

2. In a printing press having a reciprocating type carrying bed and a revolving cylinder to press a sheet toward the type on the bed, an ink pervious ribbon passing between the type and the sheet and carriedby the reciprocating bed, means to move the ribbon step by step relative to the bed, said means embodying a spool carried by the bed, ratchet means to rotate the spool operated by virtue of the movement of the bed and spool, and means controlled by the amount of ribbon on the spool to govern the amount of rotation imparted to the spool by the ratchet means.

3. In a printing press having a flat type carrying member and a rotary impression member, the type carrying member being reciprocable in its own plane and the two members being relatively movable in a direction transverse of the type carrying member to separate the two members during recipro cation of the type carrying member in one direction; an ink pervious ribbon extending lengthwise of the type carrying member and between it and the impression member, ribhon carrying spools carried on the ends of the type carrying member, the r bbon eX- tending between the spools and reciprocating with the type carrying member, means to rotate the ribbon spools by virtue of their reciprocation with the type carrying member, means at one side of the impression member to space the ribbon from the type carrying member, and means operating in the space between the ribbon and type carrying member to apply ink direction to the type carried by saicl member.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my name this 17 clay of J Lily, 1924.

GUY V; NElVTON. 

